British GP: Hamilton feels the heat after London snubbing

Related Links

England -Britain should be the one stop on the Formula One calendar where Lewis Hamilton is guaranteed a warm welcome.

Not this year.

The British Grand Prix race weekend opened Thursday with an irritated and fidgety Hamilton having to field repeated questions about snubbing his loyal home fans.

In an effort to swell the F1 audience, the new owners of the series took over Trafalgar Square in London to showcase the cars and the stars of the track on Wednesday night. Of the sport's 20 drivers, only one didn't turn up. Hamilton instead opted for a two-day holiday in Greece after finishing fourth in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.

Unsurprisingly, Hamilton's name was jeered when Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff tried to explain the absence of the three-time world champion.

On Thursday, when he faced reporters at Silverstone, Hamilton said he hadn't heard about the booing.

Hamilton justified his decision to skip the London event by saying he needed a break, has his own vast social media following to connect with fans and conducts hospital visits that he complained don't generate as much coverage as this controversy.

Hamilton said: "Everyone has the right to make the decision for themselves. I felt it's been a pretty intense season so far and I felt it's the best way to prepare for this weekend. The season is the most important thing for me. That's it. I told the organizers last week that I wouldn't be going."